


The Return

by i_will_always_find_you



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-05 16:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4186971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_will_always_find_you/pseuds/i_will_always_find_you
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity are happily living an Arrow-less life by the beach until Felicity receives a phone call from Diggle - her father is looking for her. Knowing that returning to Starling will inevitably lead Oliver to pick up his Arrow costume again, Felicity has her doubts about telling him about her father. She’s afraid. Not only of seeing her father for the first time in years, but for Oliver. If he becomes the Arrow once again, will their relationship be able to survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was laying in bed last night, daydreaming about Oliver and Felicity on a beach together somewhere when this story popped into my head. Please let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Also - I'll be posting the next chapter on my tumblr first (fangirlsfanclub.tumblr.com) so make sure to follow me!

The sand was burning hot. Felicity quickly sprinted from the top of the sand dune down to the edge of the water in order to cool the bottom of her feet.

“Much better,” she murmured quietly to herself as a wave broke in the middle of her shin. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of salt, listening to the sound of the sea gulls. It was so calm there, so perfect. She opened her eyes, staring out towards the sea. As happy as she was in this moment, there was something nagging in the back of her mind. She didn’t want to return to the beach house, not yet. She needed to clear her head for just a bit longer.

A few minutes later, large calloused hands wrapped themselves around her waist and a kiss was planted on the edge of her neck.

“You were gone when I woke up,” he whispered in left ear, giving her neck another soft kiss. His lips lingered on her skin for just a moment but she felt goosebumps all over. She thought that over time she would get used to him kissing her, but she hadn’t. Not even a little bit.

She spun around to stare into his beautiful eyes, throwing her arms around the back of his neck.Standing on tip toes, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Good morning, Oliver Queen,” she said.

“You were gone,” he repeated. She knew he could read her like an open book and that he knew something was wrong. She looked away from him.

“Hey,” he said, reaching a hand under her chin and turning her face towards his. “You haven’t slept well for weeks. You’re out here every morning. What’s bothering you?”

She didn’t want to tell him. Telling him meant they would have to give up the perfect life they had been living away from criminals and arrows and Starling and vigilantes. Telling him meant the end of this. She knew, in the darkest places of her heart, that there was no way he was able to protect the city while being with her. The city would always come first. And when she told him what was bothering her, he’d insist on returning. And eventually, he’d have to give her up.

Exactly 14 days ago, Felicity had a received a text from Diggle on her disposable cell phone to call him immediately but not to tell Oliver. She remembered kissing Oliver, still half asleep in bed, telling him she was going to the coffee shop in town to pick up some coffee and croissants. She called Diggle the second she was far enough from the house, worried that the worst had happened. Something had happened to Thea. Or Laurel. Or Barry. It was actually much worse than that.

_ “You’re father came looking for you,” Diggle said into the phone. _

_ “I’m sorry. What?” Felicity responded, immediately pulling over to the side of the road. _

_ “Your father. Or at least, a man who claims to be your father came looking for you.” _

_ “Where? How did he...how did he know where to find me?” _

_ “He showed up at Palmer Technologies, you know now that news you’re the CEO is public knowledge...I happened to be at the office helping Ray pack up some stuff so I overheard this man arguing with the receptionist, insisting she let him through to see you. I explained to him you had taken a leave of absence but I could pass on any messages. He gave me this weird grin and handshake, like he knew who I was. And then he told me he was your father.” _

_ Felicity was silent. _

_ “He left a number for you.” _

_ She still couldn’t find her voice. _

_ “Felicity? Are you okay?” _

_ “Mmmhm,” was about all she could manage to say. _

_ “Do you want the number?” _

_ “No,” she said immediately. “Not yet. I need to...I need to think.” _

_ And then she quickly hung up. _

Felicity had been so shaken up that she drove around for an hour before returning to the beach house, the coffee and croissants forgotten. Oliver had given her a strange look when she mumbled that she had gotten lost.

She had kept it a secret since then, knowing that telling Oliver would make him want to return. For her. He would argue that she deserved to confront the man that had left her decades ago, to see him again and get the answers she deserved. And she knew it was an argument that Oliver would win. She’d put it off for as long as could.

“I have to tell you something,” she said. She was facing Oliver, but focused her eyes on the sand dunes behind him.

“Okay…” he said, clearly nervous.

“I spoke to Diggle a few weeks ago,” she began.

“Is everything okay?” he interrupted.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Please just let me get this all out before you ask questions. Okay?”

He nodded.

“Apparently my father came looking for me. As you know, I haven’t seen him since I was young... I don’t know why he was looking for me or what he wants. Diggle said he seemed...off. Which doesn’t surprise me. I just, I don’t know if I want to see him. I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive him for leaving mom and I. And I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to Starling yet.”

She would have continued rambling on, but Oliver reached out towards her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned into his hand and his touch and a small wave of calmness washed over her.

“We have to go back,” he said gently.

“I don’t know if I want to see him.”

“You should talk to him, Felicity. He probably realized what a mistake it was to leave you.”

“And what if he turns out to be the next Malcolm Merlyn?”

Oliver chuckled. “Nothing we can’t handle.”

Felicity flashed a smile at him. There was a question though, nagging in the back of her mind. It clearly showed on her face as Oliver asked, “What is it?”

“You said you’d given up being the Arrow...

He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers before repeating, “There’s nothing we can’t handle.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s here!! After a summer hiatus from writing, I FINALLY got around to finishing Chapter 2 of The Return. Please let me know if you would like me to continue with this. Happy Sunday!

Oliver insisted on taking the scenic, long route home and Felicity hadn’t protested. They’d been driving for hours in near silence, giving Felicity plenty of time to overthink everything. She was afraid not only to contact to her father, but to see everyone again. Oliver was different, lighter, happier than he’d been in years. And although, selfishly, it provided her with a sense of pride because she knew she played a major role in his new-found happiness, she also knew that it had to do with him hanging up the Arrow costume. Being the Arrow, being the hero and the protector of Starling City, it wasn’t something Oliver had taken on lightly. But it was a burden, a huge one, and by giving up that side of himself, she knew it had taken a huge weight off his shoulders. 

And as they drove, she couldn’t help but think about everyone they had selfishly left behind. The people they had left to shoulder the burden when Oliver no longer could. She wondered if they would resent her for it - for now  _they_  were the ones sacrificing themselves, their lives, and their loved ones for the city.

“You’re being awfully quiet,” Oliver said, shifting the gear down and reaching for her hand. He kept his eyes on the road in front of him, but she caught him steal a glance at her every now and then.

“We can’t exactly hold hands while you drive stick,” Felicity smiled at him. “This is exactly why I said we should have gotten an automatic.” He chuckled at her.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, still reaching for her. When she didn’t respond, “I’ll let go if I have to shift. We’re just cruising on straight highway right now.”

She slipped her hand into his, sighing deeply.

“I’m afraid.” There. She had said it.

“Of seeing your father? It’s terrible what he did to you and your mom, but maybe he has an explanation.”

“Surprisingly, it’s not dealing with him that has me worried.”

He stole a glance at her, his brows bunched together in concern.

“Eyes on the road, Queen.” He turned his attention back to the road. “It’s just...when we left...I feel bad that we left everyone to clean up our mess.”

Oliver was silent. She wondered if she had upset him and almost regretted telling him the truth.

“Are you mad at me for thinking that?” She asked him.

“No. Never.”

“Then why do you look like I just put an arrow through your chest?”

“I guess I didn’t think of it like that,” he said, glancing back at her for a second. ‘“I didn’t really think we left a mess for them to clean up.”

“Okay, so maybe I used the wrong words. It wouldn’t be the first time I misspoke,” Felicity replied, trying to lighten the mood. “What I meant to say was, by us leaving, we kind of left a hole in protecting the city. And John and Thea and Laurel are the ones who were left to take it over. I just hope they don’t resent us for leaving.”

“I never asked them to do that,” Oliver said, still clearly upset. Truthfully, he hadn’t really given it much thought. He’d been so focused on his own happiness, for the first time in 8 years, that he hadn’t stopped to think about who was now protecting the city. He obviously missed his family and friends, especially Thea, but he had stupidly assumed they wouldn’t feel the need to fill the hole he’d created by leaving.

Felicity squeezed his hand. “Hey, I’m sure it’s fine. I’m overreacting.”

Oliver wasn’t so sure.

***

After what felt like several days of driving, Oliver pulled into Felicity’s apartment complex. Since they had left in such a rush, desperate to escape Starling and everything that had happened, they didn’t have much luggage with them. Felicity jumped out of the car, grabbed the two duffles that contained her clothes and essential items and started heading for the door. It took a moment to realize Oliver wasn’t following her.

She dropped the duffles at the door and went to the car to find him sitting there, engine still running, staring straight ahead. She poked her head through the open window on the passenger side.

“Oliver, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to come inside?” Clearly lost in thought, he jumped when she spoke to him.

“Are you sure? I mean, do you want some space to settle in and everything?”

“Please don’t be ridiculous,” Felicity responded, reaching an arm into the window and playfully squeezing his bicep. “Unless you wanted to go back to your apartment and see Thea?”

“No,” he said, turning off the car engine. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face everyone just yet.”

By voicing her own fears, Felicity realized she had upset him more than she meant to. “Look at me,” she said to Oliver, who was still in the driver’s seat of the car. He did. “If they aren’t happy for you, for  _us_ , then it’s their loss. You needed to take a step back from all of this, we both did. And I don’t regret leaving for one second. Do you?”

“Of course not.” He finally got out of the car, grabbing his own duffel bag from the back seat and walked around to where she stood. “How could I regret doing something that gave me you?” He kissed her on the lips, gently, and relaxed considerably.

After he pulled away, Felicity turned and began walking towards the apartment. He followed this time.

***

Since they had absolutely no groceries, Oliver went out to run the necessary errands. Felicity wandered around her apartment, unpacking and dusting. She cleaned out a drawer in her dresser for Oliver’s belongings. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if they were at that point in their relationship yet. She thought about how Oliver made her feel whole and complete, like a part of her had been missing for years and she hadn’t even realized it until he came along. She didn’t think twice as she began to clean out the drawer. If he felt it was too soon, he would tell her when he returned.

As she picked up his duffle, throwing the contents into the drawer, she thought about what lay ahead of them over the next few days. Between the prospect of having to contact her father, and see Thea, Laurel, and Diggle again, her mood began to deteriorate. Her heart plummeted when she reached the bottom of Oliver’s duffle to find his Arrow outfit. She knew he had brought it with them, not because he thought he would need it, but as reminder of what they had endured.

Looking at Oliver’s costume had once provided her with a sense of happiness - she had felt, for so long, that what Oliver was doing was not only brave, but admirable But now, looking at the green outfit only gave her a sense of dread. She ran a hand over the fabric, admiring it’s beauty at the same time a scowl spread across her face. “Please don’t take him from me,” she whispered not only to the suit, but to herself.

_I thought that I could be me and the Arrow. But I can’t. Not now. Maybe not ever._

And the fear of losing him to this city, the fear she had been trying to keep at bay, threatened to swallow her whole.


End file.
